The Vermont Department of Health reported 56 Covid-19 hospitalizations in the past week, the highest number of weekly Covid admissions the state has reported since Jan. 4, 2023.
Hospital admissions have ticked upward for the disease in recent weeks, although the health department’s latest surveillance report still describes Covid hospital levels as “low” overall. Hospitalizations are also rising nationally, according to data from The New York Times.
Covid cases in Vermont have risen as well, although case data is limited because it is primarily based on PCR tests, not the more widely used at-home antigen testing. The department reported 417 positive Covid tests within the past week.
Wastewater treatment plants in Essex Junction, Montpelier and South Burlington have reported rising levels of Covid in their samples, according to data from testing contractor WastewaterSCAN.
The number of Vermonters seeking treatment at emergency departments with Covid symptoms has also risen but remains lower than the same periods in 2021 and 2022, according to the department.
The number of Covid deaths is down compared with previous years. The department reported five additional Covid deaths this week, bringing December’s total to 14, compared with 20 deaths in December 2022 and 66 deaths in December 2021.
In total, the department reported 207 Covid deaths for the entirety of 2023, compared with a peak of 385 deaths in 2022.
Prior to the holidays, department spokesperson Ben Truman said the rise in Covid hospitalizations was “not unexpected” for this time of year, when Vermonters retreat indoors and gather for the holidays.
He urged Vermonters to follow public health guidelines to reduce transmission, including keeping up-to-date on vaccinations, staying home when sick, and considering wearing a mask around high-risk loved ones or when recently exposed to a respiratory illness.
